Tradition meets tradition as College GameDay airs today at Masters
ESPN’s College GameDay offers on a different “look” this year during the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of a backdrop of wildly cheering, sign-waving fans, audiences generally limited to cheerleaders and parts of bands take their socially distant places far away from the stage.
The popular college football preview show takes on an even more mystique Saturday — in the unlikely surroundings of Augusta National Golf Club.
The show will be staged overlooking Ike’s Pond and the 9th green of the club’s par-3 course.
Perhaps 100 yards away, golfers will be wrapping up their second rounds in the rain-delayed 84th Masters. GameDay will start at 9 a.m. on ESPN2 — while the second round concludes — then shift to ESPN.
“One of the strengths of this show is the ability to capture the unique opportunities of different venues, whether it be an aircraft carrier before I was on the show or Times Square when I was on the show, and now (Augusta),” GameDay host Rece Davis told Golfweek.
Augusta National welcomed the opportunity to provide the stage for the iconic program that dates to 1987.
The show, set for 9 a.m. to noon, “will provide additional excitement for college football and golf fans alike, and it affords us a unique opportunity to expose our sport to an audience that may be seeing the Masters for the very first time,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said.
Ridley added: “I have to say, I can’t wait to hear our friends on the College GameDay set recap the Florida Gators’ convincing win this last Saturday over the Georgia Bulldogs. I apologize to my Georgia friends, but I just had to say that.”
Analyst Kirk Herbstreit told Golfweek that coming to Augusta National “is the one silver lining of 2020. This is going to be a historic moment for the show.”
The show concludes with the personalities picking the winners of the day’s games and Lee Corso adds the finishing touch by donning a replica of team’s mascot’s headgear he favors in the top matchup.
The mystery: which golfer will Corso choose?
What channel is ESPN College GameDay on?
The show will begin at 9 a.m. on ESPN2 and move to ESPN when the second round of the Masters concludes.
Masters TV details today
Today: 7:30 a.m. on ESPN (for conclusion of second round), then third round on 1-5 p.m., CBS
Sunday: Final round 10 a.m.-3 p.m., CBS